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Please play responsibly on behalf of Boothill casino 0:01:17.520 --> 0:01:20.880 in Resorting, Kansas twenty one and over age varies by jurisdiction. 0:01:21.000 --> 0:01:23.760 Void in Ontario one. No sweat bet per new customer 0:01:23.880 --> 0:01:26.240 issued as one bonus bet based on amount of initial 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:28.800 losing bet. Bonus bets expire one hundred and sixty eight 0:01:28.840 --> 0:01:32.440 hours after issue. Ince See DKNNG dot com slash promos 0:01:32.440 --> 0:01:47.919 for deposit wagering and eligibility restrictions, terms and responsible gaming resources. 0:01:49.440 --> 0:01:53.760 Also NiFe time to welcome Chief Ramsey. Chief Roll Ramsey, 0:01:53.800 --> 0:01:56.800 the co founder and chief executive offer officer a four 0:01:56.840 --> 0:02:01.120 Street and Fire Recruitment Program. Chief Ramsey founded ff RP 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:04.920 to help individuals who are formally incarcerated and work within 0:02:04.960 --> 0:02:07.720 fire camps overcome barriers that prevent them from entering the 0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:12.240 professional field of firefighting. The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.400 maintains a ten percent rate of recidivism across the two 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:19.800 hundred plus placed employment compared to the California State average 0:02:19.800 --> 0:02:26.280 of forty two and eighty two percent nationally. Um, Chief, 0:02:26.600 --> 0:02:28.480 thanks for joining us today. Man, how you doing? 0:02:28.840 --> 0:02:31.440 Oh man, I'm doing well. For Shannon, how you doing, Surrey? 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:34.480 I'm doing great, Bro, I'm doing great. Thanks for joining us. 0:02:34.760 --> 0:02:40.120 Nah, thank you for having me. Oh show Thanky, what's 0:02:40.200 --> 0:02:43.960 the deal? And I'm chilling? Man, Listen, I mna had 0:02:44.080 --> 0:02:45.399 your hands. I cut mine off. 0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:50.440 Man, Chief, I want to ask you this what led 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:54.920 you on this journey to to find, to discover, to 0:02:55.080 --> 0:02:57.520 fund this program in what you're a part of now. 0:02:58.800 --> 0:02:59.080 Yeah. 0:02:59.200 --> 0:03:03.639 So, so when I was twenty years old, I made 0:03:03.840 --> 0:03:07.000 I made a mistake, right, I end up, you know, 0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:09.520 making a poor choice in life, and I end up 0:03:10.800 --> 0:03:12.799 you know, committing to crime and got sentenced to six 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:17.200 years in prison. I ended up you know, serving four 0:03:17.280 --> 0:03:20.840 years eight months. And in that time, I had the 0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:23.600 opportunity to you know, go to fire camp. And I know, 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:25.799 like a lot of folks don't really know about that 0:03:25.880 --> 0:03:30.160 program and it's pretty much been around since the nineteen forties. Okay, 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:33.079 So you know California utilizing cars road of people to 0:03:33.160 --> 0:03:37.480 fight wildfires and you know, giving them an opportunity to 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:39.400 you know, obviously serve the community and going out and 0:03:39.560 --> 0:03:42.040 doing their thing. But they get paid, you know, pretty 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:45.560 much a dollar an hour to do this work. So 0:03:46.560 --> 0:03:49.920 I remember around the time that I actually went to 0:03:50.000 --> 0:03:54.320 fire camp, it was I actually got sent like sentenced, 0:03:54.360 --> 0:03:56.200 and then I went to I was in reception for 0:03:56.240 --> 0:03:58.640 a while, and then they sent me out of state 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:02.440 from Arizona and mississipp because the time that I got sentenced, 0:04:03.160 --> 0:04:04.720 it was overcrowded in California. 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:07.560 So I had to you know, I went out and 0:04:07.720 --> 0:04:08.320 you know, went to. 0:04:08.200 --> 0:04:13.360 Mississippi and you have an annual review every year. And 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:15.480 when I when I had the ability to go because 0:04:15.480 --> 0:04:18.160 I have my points dropped and they was like, hey, 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:19.640 you want to go to fire camp? And I was like, 0:04:19.920 --> 0:04:21.640 in my mind, I'm just like, what's the fire camp? 0:04:21.720 --> 0:04:21.840 Right? 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:22.120 I heard? 0:04:22.279 --> 0:04:25.000 I heard about it when I actually got sentenced, but 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:27.599 I didn't really know. So from there, you know, just 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:30.480 had the opportunity, you know, talk to a couple of folks. 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:32.600 I'm like, hey man, you know what's this fire camp stuff? 0:04:32.600 --> 0:04:34.080 And I was like, hey man, this is dope. You know, 0:04:34.160 --> 0:04:38.800 you better food. You know, you have a you have 0:04:38.839 --> 0:04:41.440 the ability to go out and you know, I have 0:04:41.480 --> 0:04:44.159 a part, like saiding with your family. You you know, 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:46.400 you in a community. You're not locked up, you're not 0:04:46.480 --> 0:04:48.320 in the sale. So I was like, man, this is 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:50.000 a you know, a good opportunity. And I can go 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:52.159 back to California and see my family. I haven't seen 0:04:52.200 --> 0:04:53.920 them in like twenty plus months. I was like, you 0:04:53.920 --> 0:04:55.479 know what, let me just go and make it happen. 0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:58.000 But Shannon, when I tell you, I had no idea 0:04:58.160 --> 0:05:02.600 what I was getting. It was crazy then for real. 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:05.640 So uh and then it led, you know, and I 0:05:05.680 --> 0:05:07.440 grew to love it. I had a passion for it 0:05:07.520 --> 0:05:10.200 when I got there, and I was like, man, I 0:05:10.200 --> 0:05:12.400 could really do this. This is something that I you 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:14.360 know that I could you know, make happen. I had 0:05:14.400 --> 0:05:16.200 adversity when I was younger, when I was a kid, 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:19.160 and I wasn't never scared of fighting fire. 0:05:19.240 --> 0:05:20.800 I'm you know, I had a couple of you know, 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:23.080 live uh you know. 0:05:23.080 --> 0:05:26.800 Some some some experiences in my life where I had 0:05:26.880 --> 0:05:27.760 some challenges. 0:05:27.800 --> 0:05:29.120 I almost died a couple of times. 0:05:29.160 --> 0:05:30.559 So I was like, you know what, this is something 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:32.440 that you know, I'm not scared of and and I 0:05:32.480 --> 0:05:34.119 just loved it and it was dope. 0:05:34.160 --> 0:05:36.880 So if you don't mind me asking I'm gonna ask 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:38.919 one more question. I'll let you take it if you 0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:41.480 don't mind me asking what is some of the qualifications 0:05:41.480 --> 0:05:44.919 in which your inmate qualifies for this program. 0:05:45.160 --> 0:05:47.960 So the qualifications, you know, you can't have an arson, 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:53.680 you can't have a sex crime, you can't at the 0:05:53.680 --> 0:05:55.400 time that when I was there, you you know, you 0:05:55.440 --> 0:05:58.680 couldn't have any murder or someone any violating crime right 0:05:58.760 --> 0:06:01.680 in a sense, and you pretty much go through what 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:05.440 it's called PFT. You do some physical training. Once you 0:06:05.480 --> 0:06:08.120 pass that, they give you a basic like S one 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:10.520 ninety class. And this is all I'm talking about is 0:06:10.520 --> 0:06:13.320 when I was there, and you pretty much again be 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:15.280 able to go out and they'll see you so a 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:19.880 fire camp and you really under the qualifications of the captains. 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:23.320 So it's really quick, you know, it's like a couple 0:06:23.320 --> 0:06:26.080 of weeks you know process to get you, you know, going, 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:28.520 and then you out there you're fighting fires. 0:06:29.400 --> 0:06:32.080 Listen, one of the key words you just said, chief 0:06:32.520 --> 0:06:35.880 is passion. You had a passion for something, and obviously 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:38.320 most of the times people have a hard time finding 0:06:38.360 --> 0:06:41.080 something that they something that they love to do and 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:44.200 actually having a passion for it where it doesn't become 0:06:44.200 --> 0:06:47.000 a job, it becomes something that you actually love. Now, 0:06:47.000 --> 0:06:49.520 how do you help the participants gain the skills and 0:06:49.560 --> 0:06:53.640 the confidence needed for such as a demanding job in 0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:59.760 wildland firefight, Because that's that's that's for one scary who 0:07:00.160 --> 0:07:03.320 life or death depending on the situation. Right, Just how 0:07:03.320 --> 0:07:05.840 do you do that, you know, helping them gain the 0:07:05.880 --> 0:07:08.839 skills and not only gain the skills, but you need 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:11.000 confidence to be able to do something like that. 0:07:11.960 --> 0:07:14.360 And that's what the forest and Fire Recruitment program is 0:07:14.400 --> 0:07:17.720 pretty much all about. Like, you know, just like us 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:21.360 being from the urban community, right and having adversity growing up, 0:07:21.800 --> 0:07:23.960 you know, we built for it to right, We've been 0:07:24.320 --> 0:07:27.040 we've been through some stags, right, so it's really easy 0:07:27.080 --> 0:07:29.120 to chop it up with folks and be like listen, like, 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:32.480 you know, you you already been through that road in 0:07:32.520 --> 0:07:35.800 your life, right. You already had you know, probably the 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:38.360 black sheep of your family. You know, you probably disappointed 0:07:38.400 --> 0:07:41.480 your family in some moment, and like, this is an 0:07:41.480 --> 0:07:44.000 opportunity for you to be able to utilize the knowledge, 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:46.680 skills and abilities that you have right in order for 0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:48.400 you to be able to get a family winning career. 0:07:48.960 --> 0:07:50.920 And it's really just being real with them, just like 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:54.080 we're having a conversation right now. It's just like you know, hey, 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:57.160 do you want the bag? Everybody want the back, Everybody 0:07:57.160 --> 0:07:59.280 want the jewels. Everybody want to be able to have 0:07:59.760 --> 0:08:02.520 some to look forward to to, to have pride in, 0:08:03.360 --> 0:08:06.040 have purpose, right, And it's really to really sell it 0:08:06.080 --> 0:08:08.000 and say, look, this is a real, true opportunity. So 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:10.920 you know, listen to your captains, listen to or take 0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:14.160 this time, you know, to yourself and really understand the 0:08:14.760 --> 0:08:18.360 process of like the mental and emotional and the physical 0:08:18.960 --> 0:08:22.000 attributes of like really focusing and locking in just like 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:24.240 when you was on Game Day, oh show, you know, 0:08:24.560 --> 0:08:27.560 talking people up, just like how you Channon was over there, 0:08:27.800 --> 0:08:31.000 saw up you had me pumped up earlier with some 0:08:31.080 --> 0:08:33.160 highlights in it. And it's like that's that's where you 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:37.640 have to understand like the opportunity right right. And and 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:40.120 I think by me talking and just telling my story 0:08:40.400 --> 0:08:43.760 and inspiring folks and loving on folks and showing them like, 0:08:43.800 --> 0:08:45.160 look I've been where are you at? 0:08:45.160 --> 0:08:48.640 And like we already been through the worst, So why not. 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:52.200 Take this opportunity to get to get the opportunity to 0:08:52.240 --> 0:08:56.560 be able to be a firefighter, make the bag, you know, 0:08:56.760 --> 0:08:58.440 take care of your family and win. 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:00.400 Thank you this. 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:03.600 There's a lot that's been said about the incarcerated firefighters 0:09:03.640 --> 0:09:06.840 today that's currently fighting the fires in Los Angeles. Can 0:09:06.920 --> 0:09:11.400 you explain to us, in fact the fiction of what's 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:14.720 circulating online? How much do I don't know if you 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:17.160 know this off the top of your head, how much 0:09:17.200 --> 0:09:18.720 are they getting paid? 0:09:19.520 --> 0:09:23.520 And do if only for as fires do you guys? 0:09:23.880 --> 0:09:26.439 Do you guys go fight burning building fires or is 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:29.400 just the large scale massive fires? 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:30.439 Yeah, so. 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:35.439 When it comes to folks us in California fire camps, 0:09:35.600 --> 0:09:39.360 they actually focus on while land firefighting. Okay, that's what 0:09:39.440 --> 0:09:42.920 you pretty much trained in though too. You know you 0:09:42.960 --> 0:09:47.320 can you know, respond to a flood or any like 0:09:47.400 --> 0:09:50.280 national disaster that needs when it comes to like just 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:55.920 having bodies there. Okay, And yeah, so that's pretty much 0:09:56.080 --> 0:09:57.400 that that question for you, Shenny. 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:00.320 How about you got what what's the pay becau It's 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:02.040 been played like, okay, you get ten dollars an hour 0:10:02.440 --> 0:10:04.800 and then blah blah you get another dollar hours or 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:05.960 it's eleven dollars hours. 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:08.160 So if you don't mind me asking what's the payscale? 0:10:08.679 --> 0:10:10.720 Yeah, is dollars. 0:10:10.840 --> 0:10:13.720 Yeah, they're making about twenty some dollars a day. You 0:10:13.720 --> 0:10:16.800 know what I was, you know, all the research that 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:19.040 I have done and known because they've been trying to 0:10:19.200 --> 0:10:21.679 like compensate folks for being in fire camp. 0:10:22.200 --> 0:10:22.640 Yeah, I know. 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:27.640 One of my CDCR partners, Fred Money, cut the money. Yeah, yeah, 0:10:27.880 --> 0:10:29.880 he escorched me if I didn't say that. They wasn't 0:10:29.920 --> 0:10:31.800 trying to make efforts in trying to, you know, give 0:10:31.880 --> 0:10:33.920 folks some more money. But it is pretty much a 0:10:33.960 --> 0:10:35.520 dollar an hour when they out there in the fire. 0:10:35.800 --> 0:10:38.760 But they're trying to figure it out. But yeah, it's 0:10:39.040 --> 0:10:41.760 hard work, is you know, you're making what you know. 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:43.760 Twelve dollars a day. 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:45.480 Yeah, and for the day, you know what I'm saying, 0:10:45.520 --> 0:10:48.400 because they do follar shifts and then they twenty four 0:10:48.720 --> 0:10:52.000 hours down and then twenty four hours on. So yeah, 0:10:52.080 --> 0:10:55.559 it's it's definitely it's pretty much the same thing as uh, 0:10:56.080 --> 0:10:58.800 you're going to college and you're getting pamped, you know 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:01.360 what I'm saying, Like yeah, right, like like you know, 0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:03.840 the the n I l right like now it's starting 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:06.520 to come about, right because of like you know, folks 0:11:06.520 --> 0:11:08.560 seeing that how much money that you know, the n 0:11:08.559 --> 0:11:10.440 C double A is making right like it's a similar 0:11:10.559 --> 0:11:13.320 kind of situation, so you can understand what I'm saying. 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:15.600 But my biggest thing though, is like I wanted to 0:11:15.600 --> 0:11:18.000 bring you to the NFL, right, I'm trying to give 0:11:18.000 --> 0:11:19.920 you the opportunity to go out to get this bag 0:11:20.040 --> 0:11:23.480 and with all the you know, opportunities you had in college, 0:11:23.760 --> 0:11:26.720 right and when you was in in fire cap, Let's 0:11:26.720 --> 0:11:27.600 take that to the league. 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:27.800 Man. 0:11:27.880 --> 0:11:29.880 We need a The league is short right now. 0:11:29.960 --> 0:11:33.040 We right when this league was in nineteen sixties, and 0:11:33.080 --> 0:11:34.400 we try to we need we need folks to be 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:35.640 able to come out here and make it heaven. 0:11:36.120 --> 0:11:38.319 But you check this out. Go ahead, you go ahead, 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:38.679 go ahead. 0:11:39.280 --> 0:11:41.600 I was gonna say, listen, early early, early in life, 0:11:41.600 --> 0:11:44.120 obviously you you've you've had You've made some mistakes. Listen, 0:11:44.240 --> 0:11:46.080 we've all we've all made them. You know, you've had 0:11:46.520 --> 0:11:48.520 obstacles you had to overcome, and you were able to 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:50.480 do that. And many of us don't get a second chance. 0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:53.040 You were able to get a second chance. And I'm 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:55.640 just curious, what's been the biggest hurdle you face in 0:11:55.720 --> 0:11:58.960 making the forestry and fire recruitment program of success? And 0:11:59.040 --> 0:12:02.160 actually getting people want to actually do it despite what 0:12:02.240 --> 0:12:02.880 the paint might be. 0:12:05.160 --> 0:12:06.520 So it's a lot of things. 0:12:06.600 --> 0:12:09.679 So I think the biggest one of the biggest hurd 0:12:09.760 --> 0:12:11.959 was like can you actually do it right, because a 0:12:12.000 --> 0:12:14.240 lot of folks knew, Like it was some rumors around 0:12:14.280 --> 0:12:17.360 like yeah you can, you can't. But if you really 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:22.360 think about it, public service in prison kind of don't mix, right, 0:12:22.679 --> 0:12:26.880 Like top you think about, you know, the prisoner, it 0:12:26.920 --> 0:12:29.280 doesn't mix. You think about a firefighter, you think about 0:12:29.280 --> 0:12:29.880 a prisoner, it. 0:12:29.800 --> 0:12:30.520 Don't mix, right. 0:12:30.600 --> 0:12:33.000 So I was like, you know, me and my co 0:12:33.080 --> 0:12:36.000 founder Brendan Smith, you know, we was you know, we 0:12:36.000 --> 0:12:37.840 was laying in the bunk one day or just like 0:12:38.000 --> 0:12:39.800 you know, just chopping it up, and it was like, man, 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:42.040 like I really enjoyed this, Man, I really want to 0:12:42.080 --> 0:12:42.280 do this. 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:43.640 And he was like, man, you know what we should 0:12:43.640 --> 0:12:44.560 we should figure it out. 0:12:44.559 --> 0:12:46.840 Like but I'm like, you know what, once we actually 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:51.079 know the process of becoming coming from fire camp to 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:54.760 you know, being a professional firefighter, you know, I want 0:12:54.760 --> 0:12:56.520 to be the model day Harriet Tubman, you feel me. 0:12:56.559 --> 0:12:58.839 I want to bring our folks, you know what I'm saying. 0:13:00.200 --> 0:13:02.640 Back right, So it's like, Okay, and then we obviously, 0:13:03.160 --> 0:13:04.800 you know, it was a lot of it's a lot 0:13:04.800 --> 0:13:08.480 of stuff. Stigma you know, obviously is you know, understanding 0:13:08.480 --> 0:13:11.439 the process of how to get there, right, the application, 0:13:12.000 --> 0:13:13.840 you know, build a resume and then and at the 0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:16.520 time that I was around, it was like banded box 0:13:16.600 --> 0:13:19.599 wasn't there. So like, you know, you know, you have 0:13:19.679 --> 0:13:21.960 to explain your crime and what you did. So I was, 0:13:22.320 --> 0:13:24.640 you know, am when I first started, I worked with 0:13:24.640 --> 0:13:28.160 the US four Service, and I'll put on my application. 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:29.959 I'm like, look, this is the crime that I committed, right, 0:13:30.240 --> 0:13:32.680 But then this is what I'm doing to be able to, 0:13:32.880 --> 0:13:33.160 you know. 0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:36.079 Take trying to tone for my mistake. 0:13:36.440 --> 0:13:36.680 Right. 0:13:36.800 --> 0:13:40.400 So hey, look I'm going I went to this Wildland Academy, Uh, 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:45.440 got my certifications in college, right, and I'm you know, 0:13:45.559 --> 0:13:47.839 trying to be able to like really push it to 0:13:48.160 --> 0:13:50.040 the next level and be able to get a position 0:13:50.200 --> 0:13:52.400 with y'all. Like I'm I'm I'm showing you not only 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:54.160 just the things that happened in the past, but also 0:13:54.160 --> 0:13:56.320 the things that I'm working on to be able to 0:13:56.320 --> 0:13:58.840 be a great citizen and being able to be an 0:13:58.840 --> 0:13:59.720 asset to the cup. 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:02.400 You know, the organization which is the Force Service. 0:14:02.480 --> 0:14:05.520 So from there, you know, I got you know, then 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:08.160 I got an interview and man, it's just like they 0:14:08.280 --> 0:14:09.960 was asking me, like, you know, so what makes you 0:14:10.880 --> 0:14:12.760 the best, you know, the best person for this job? 0:14:12.840 --> 0:14:15.839 And I was like, look, I got experience right when 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:18.320 I was in fire cap and you know, I did 0:14:18.360 --> 0:14:22.720 twenty months you know, fighting fires, doing fire prevention work. 0:14:23.480 --> 0:14:25.360 I was the first saw. I was out there, you know, 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:26.080 doing my thing. 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:29.120 And then not only that, when I came home, I 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:32.280 got my credentials as far as getting my certifications I need. 0:14:32.600 --> 0:14:35.160 And then now I'm actually in college pursuing my a's 0:14:35.160 --> 0:14:40.160 degree in fire technology. So I'm like, and experience, you 0:14:40.200 --> 0:14:42.720 can't be right. So I am the best, you know, 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:44.880 I have the good position to be able to be 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:46.240 the best person for the job. 0:14:54.280 --> 0:14:54.520 Chief. 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:56.720 I want to ask you this because there's a stigmatism 0:14:56.720 --> 0:14:59.160 that comes along with someone that's been inconcentrated and they 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:02.280 gets out a lot of time. Employment do not want 0:15:02.320 --> 0:15:04.600 to offer them that because of their prior history. 0:15:05.120 --> 0:15:08.080 How do how are what are you doing? 0:15:08.120 --> 0:15:10.920 And how can we as a society realize that some 0:15:10.960 --> 0:15:14.960 of these men women have something to offer society in 0:15:15.080 --> 0:15:18.040 a positive because there is that stigma that they don't 0:15:18.080 --> 0:15:19.680 want to give you a job. And so that's why 0:15:19.720 --> 0:15:22.240 I believe the recidivism rate is so I well, if 0:15:22.240 --> 0:15:23.920 I can't get a job, you're not gonna give me 0:15:23.920 --> 0:15:27.080 gable employment. I got to go touch somebody to get it, 0:15:27.080 --> 0:15:28.040 because I gotta somebody. 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:30.320 I'm just gonna be honest with you. I gotta subviety. 0:15:30.720 --> 0:15:34.960 Gun. That's my guy, man, hey, And that's and that's 0:15:34.960 --> 0:15:35.840 the real thing, man. 0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:38.760 And that's where I like one I want to tell 0:15:38.760 --> 0:15:41.600 you all today is like, you know, I can I 0:15:41.600 --> 0:15:43.040 can speak from experience. 0:15:43.400 --> 0:15:45.240 I was, you know, I was a little firecracker when 0:15:45.280 --> 0:15:45.840 I was younger. 0:15:45.880 --> 0:15:48.760 So I think even the respect that I gained from 0:15:48.760 --> 0:15:51.400 these men and women that's out there a bout on 0:15:51.440 --> 0:15:53.520 these fires and stuff, and that's in these fire camps. 0:15:53.520 --> 0:15:57.440 I can really attest to what they've gone through and 0:15:57.440 --> 0:16:01.280 and it's really an important factor of me being able 0:16:01.320 --> 0:16:04.040 to like talk to like. So, for example, let me 0:16:04.080 --> 0:16:06.280 tell you some some real stuff. So cal fire. Right, 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:09.360 that's like the state's fire department. Okay, they actually one 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:14.040 of our biggest funders, and they actually support what we're 0:16:14.040 --> 0:16:17.320 doing and they put their money with their mouth, is right, 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:22.000 Governor Gavin Newsom. He passed a bill that was effective 0:16:22.240 --> 0:16:25.600 January first, twenty twenty one. It's called AB twenty one 0:16:25.640 --> 0:16:29.280 forty seven, which allows folks that's been incarcerated and fire 0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:32.120 camps get their record of sponge once they come home. 0:16:32.600 --> 0:16:35.280 So big shout out to the governor, right, big shout 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:39.120 out to cal Fire. And but one thing that we 0:16:39.200 --> 0:16:40.840 do need to like I really want to talk to 0:16:40.840 --> 0:16:43.400 you about too, is like CDCR. 0:16:44.040 --> 0:16:45.480 You know, I've been wanting to chop it up with 0:16:45.520 --> 0:16:46.240 them for a while. 0:16:46.320 --> 0:16:49.440 And these are the folks that you know, how's these 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:52.640 how's the folks that's being incarcerated right And I'm really 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:55.200 looking for a partnership for us to really you know, 0:16:56.160 --> 0:16:58.920 help out those thousands, you know, folks that's out there 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:02.080 balloting these fires right now and should be able to 0:17:02.200 --> 0:17:05.119 you know, put their money where their mouth is. Let's listen, like, 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:08.040 we we really need people like this is this has 0:17:08.080 --> 0:17:10.600 been going on for a long time. We started our 0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:14.000 organization in twenty eighteen. It's really been a struggle. I 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:16.080 was actually just talking to my wife, man and uh, 0:17:16.760 --> 0:17:19.679 like it's been a journey for me, Ocho and Shannon 0:17:19.800 --> 0:17:23.440 and in my team too, and like to be honest 0:17:23.440 --> 0:17:26.400 with you, my co founder, Brandon Smith, his grandparents house 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:26.920 burned down. 0:17:27.080 --> 0:17:29.280 Just inho start to hear that my. 0:17:29.640 --> 0:17:33.280 Director of finance or her house burned down in the Palisades, Right, 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:36.760 it's been an effective like not only just what we've 0:17:36.800 --> 0:17:39.399 been doing and been trying to like we've been you know, 0:17:39.400 --> 0:17:41.560 we've been struggling with a nonprofit organization. You know, we're 0:17:41.560 --> 0:17:44.159 trying to do something that's right, but like it's been 0:17:44.200 --> 0:17:48.399 a lot of like you know, there's been a lot 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:52.159 of stigmas, a lot of like you know, pressure with 0:17:52.200 --> 0:17:54.639 this and now that this hadn't happened, like you know, 0:17:54.720 --> 0:17:57.440 we've been around. We want we want to be able 0:17:57.440 --> 0:18:00.879 to provide folks opportunity and stuff. So yeah, let me 0:18:00.960 --> 0:18:02.480 let me stop there. Let me stop there. 0:18:02.520 --> 0:18:05.639 Because what's the best way people can support your organization, 0:18:05.880 --> 0:18:07.639 your efforts to do what you can take what you 0:18:08.040 --> 0:18:10.000 to help you continue to do what you're doing. 0:18:10.960 --> 0:18:15.080 Honestly, if they can donate, I don't care if it's five, 0:18:15.240 --> 0:18:19.560 ten fifty dollars right to the Forestry Fight rp dot 0:18:19.640 --> 0:18:22.680 org or even just awareness like I'm a Taed fellow 0:18:23.000 --> 0:18:25.040 twenty twenty four teen, fellow, shout out to all the 0:18:25.080 --> 0:18:29.520 tad folks, I have a ted talk and just spurring awareness. 0:18:29.040 --> 0:18:30.200 Of the organization what we're doing. 0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:32.240 And I think that's really what needs to happen, Like 0:18:32.520 --> 0:18:35.240 folks need to know what we actually do. And I think, 0:18:35.520 --> 0:18:39.399 you know, to all the you know athletes, to all 0:18:39.440 --> 0:18:42.600 the folks that been in that lived in the urban community, 0:18:42.960 --> 0:18:45.320 I feel like we would definitely would love your support 0:18:45.400 --> 0:18:48.600 and knowing that we actually, you know, getting folks that 0:18:48.680 --> 0:18:50.720 say that there are you know, zeros when they go 0:18:50.720 --> 0:18:53.359 to prison and the homies, right, like all the folks 0:18:53.359 --> 0:18:56.040 that we know that grew up, right, I'm actually providing 0:18:56.080 --> 0:18:59.320 them an opportunity to get a you know, a six figure. 0:18:59.040 --> 0:19:01.560 Job, right and if you think about that in LA, 0:19:01.800 --> 0:19:02.679